Japantown: A Thriller

In this "sophisticated international thriller" (The New York Times Book Review), an American antiques dealer turned reluctant private eye must use his knowledge of Japanese culture to unravel a major murder in San Francisco - before he and his daughter become targets themselves. San Francisco antiques dealer Jim Brodie receives a call one night from a friend at the SFPD: An entire family has been senselessly gunned down in the Japantown neighborhood of the bustling city.

The Tin Collectors

L.A. police detective Shane Scully comes under investigation by Internal Affairs (derisively known as "the tin collectors") after he kills his ex-partner who was one of the mayor's bodyguards. Temporarily reassigned, so that he can remain under the department's watchful eye, Scully finds that more than his badge is at stake when he is set up to take the rap in a deadly plot of corruption and conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the LAPD.

Kill Her Again: A Thriller

Ever since a close call with death, FBI agent Anna McBride has been having strange visions of a kidnapped little girl... a little girl who is about to be murdered. Is Anna going crazy? When she's assigned to a multiple homicide case, Anna's visions recur with even fiercer frequency, and she can't shake the feeling that what she's seeing is somehow connected to this latest grisly crime....

Absolute Power

In a heavily guarded mansion in a posh Virginia suburb, a man and a woman start to make love, trapping a burglar behind a secret wall. Then the passion turns deadly, and the witness is running into the night - because what he has just seen is a brutal slaying involving the president of the United States.

You're Next

Mike Wingate had a rough childhood — he was abandoned at a playground at four years old and raised in foster care. No one ever came to claim him, and he has only a few, fragmented memories of his parents. Now, as an adult, Mike is finally living the life he had always wanted — he’s happily married to Annabel, the woman of his dreams; they have a precocious eight-year-old daughter, Kat.

The Inner Circle

When Clementine Kaye, archivist Beecher White's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the president of the United States privately reviews classified documents. They accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - and find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Orphan X

Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence assets - i.e. assassins. He was Orphan X. Evan broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear.

The Icarus Agenda

Colorado Congressman Evan Kendrick is trying to live out his term of office quietly—when a political mole reveals to the world Kendrick's deepest secret: that Kendrick was the anonymous man in Masqar, the man who courageously freed the hostage held in the American embassy by Arab terrorists; the unknown hero who performed an act of outrageous daring then silently disappeared. Now, suddenly, Kendrick is a living target pursued by the terrorists he outwitted.

The Survivor

Nate Overbay, a former soldier suffering from PTSD and ALS, goes to an 11th-floor bank and climbs out the bathroom window onto the ledge, ready to end it all. But as he’s steeling himself to jump, a crew of gunmen bursts into the bank and begins viciously shooting employees and customers. With nothing to lose, Nate climbs back inside, confronts the robbers, and with his military training, starts taking them out, one by one. The last man standing leaves Nate with a cryptic warning: “He will make you pay in ways you can’t imagine.” Soon enough, Nate learns what this means.

Hold Tight

Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they'd become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their 16-year-old son, Adam, has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate, Spencer Hill they can't help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam's computer, and within days they are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: "Just stay quiet and all safe."

Meanwhile, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son's death...and he wasn't alone.

Paranoia: A Novel

Adam Cassidy is twenty-six and a low level employee at a high-tech corporation who hates his job. When he manipulates the system to do something nice for a friend, he finds himself charged with a crime. Corporate Security gives him a choice: prison or become a spy in the headquarters of their chief competitor, Trion Systems.

Mystic River

When they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus, and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car drove up their street. One boy got in the car, two did not, and something terrible happened - something that ended their friendship and changed the boys forever. Twenty-five years later, Sean is a homicide detective. Jimmy is an ex-con. And Dave is trying to hold his marriage together and keep his demons at bay - demons that urge him to do horrific things. When Jimmy's daughter is murdered, Sean is assigned to the case.

Tonight I Said Goodbye

Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead of an apparent suicide in his home in an upscale Cleveland suburb, and his wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Weston’s father insists that private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard take the case to exonerate his son and find his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. As they begin to work, they discover there is much more to the situation than has been described in the prevalent media reports.

The Heist: A Novel

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox - an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Tell No Lies

The scion of an old-money San Francisco family, Daniel Brasher left his well-paying, respectable money-manager position to marry his community organizer wife and work at a job he loves, leading group counseling sessions with recently paroled violent offenders. One night he finds an envelope - one intended for someone else that was placed in his office mailbox by accident. Inside is an unsigned piece of paper, a handwritten note that says, "Admit what you've done or you will bleed for it."

The Collectibles: The Collectibles Trilogy, Book 1

"Do what the other fella can't. Be what the other fella ain't. And then help the other fella." Joe Hart has never let go of his uncle's words. An orphan from the unspoiled Adirondack Mountains, Joe leaves his humble beginnings and goes on to distinguish himself, first as a navy submarine commander, then as an attorney unequaled in his field. But Joe's world crashes with an unexpected tragedy.

Miracle Cure

They’re one of the country’s most telegenic couples: beloved TV journalist Sara Lowell and New York’s hottest basketball star, Michael Silverman. Their family and social connections tie them to the highest echelons of the political, medical, and sports worlds - threads that will tangle them up in one of the most controversial and deadly issues of our time. In a clinic on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a divisive and devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well.

Plum Island

Wounded in the line of duty, NYPD homicide cop John Corey is convalescing in rural eastern Long Island when an attractive young couple he knows is found shot to death on the family patio. The victims were biologists at Plum Island, a research site rumored to be an incubator for germ warfare. Suddenly, a local double murder takes on shattering global implications - and thrusts Corey and two extraordinary women into a dangerous search for the secret of Plum Island....

The Chopin Manuscript: A Serial Thriller

15 thriller masters. 1 masterful thriller! Former war crimes investigator Harold Middleton possesses a previously unknown score by Frederic Chopin. But he is unaware that, within it's handwritten notes, lies a secret that now threatens the lives of thousands of Americans. As he races from Poland to the U.S. to uncover the mystery of the manuscript, Middleton will be accused of murder, pursued by federal agents, and targeted by assassins.

Real Tigers

The Bond-esque River Cartwight and his group of defunct MI5 spies, headed by the irascible Jackson Lamb, will do anything to get back into the game. When a member of London's Slough House - MI5's stable for disgraced spies, so-called "slow horses" - is kidnapped by a former soldier bent on revenge, the agents must risk treason and breach Regent's Park to steal intel in exchange for their comrade's safety. But the kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg as they are caught in a conspiracy that threatens the future not only of Slough House but of MI5 itself.

Suspect

LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well, not since a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner, Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty - until he meets his new partner. Maggie is not doing so well, either. The German shepherd survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before she lost her handler to an IED and sniper attack, and her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s. They are each other’s last chance.

Louisiana Longshot: A Miss Fortune Mystery, Book 1

It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element.

Play Dead

Theirs was a marriage made in tabloid heaven, but no sooner had supermodel Laura Ayars and Celtics star David Baskin said “I do” than tragedy struck. While honeymooning on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, David went out for a swim - and never returned. Now widowed and grieving, Laura has a thousand questions and no answers. Her search for the truth will draw her into a web of lies and deception that stretches back thirty years - while on the court at the Boston Garden, a rookie phenom makes his spectacular debut....

Accused: Rosato & DiNunzio, Book 1

New York Times best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling listeners with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in Accused.

Publisher's Summary

Most careers begin with an interview and a handshake. Others require a little something more.

Meet Jake Oliver. The day will come when he's one of the best cleaners in the business, a man skilled at making bodies disappear. At the moment, however, he's a 22-year-old rookie cop, unaware his life is about to change. In a burning barn a body is found - and the fire isn't the cause of death. The detectives working the case have a pretty good idea about what went down. But Officer Oliver thinks it's something else entirely, and pursues a truth others would prefer remain hidden - others who will go to extreme lengths to keep him quiet.

STORY (thriller) - Becoming Quinn is Book 4.1 in this series, but it should be Book 1. It explains the story of how Jake, a young cop, is motivated to change careers and become a cleaner -- the guy that gets rid of bodies and makes the scene of "an elimination" appear as if nothing ever happened. I stumbled on Book 5 in this series in a sale (The Destroyed) and absolutely loved it, so I decided to start the series from the beginning.

The story starts quickly and is exciting till the very end. There's plenty of detective work, action and great character development of young Jake, who by the end of the book has become Quinn the cleaner. The book can stand alone, but you won't be able to resist continuing the series to see how he handles his first assignment.

PERFORMANCE - Scott Brick is wonderful in this book. It's not that he does any foreign accents or multi-character differentiation, but just the way he reads...

OVERALL - I would highly recommend this for any adult who enjoys good thrillers. There is killing and "cleaning" but the book isn't overly violent and not at all gory. There is no sex, and I don't remember any cursing. Start with this book before you continue on with the series.

I purchased this 9 months ago and tried to listen to it. But I am impulsive and compulsive and did not give it proper attention. I know this because this time I started it from the beginning and was riveted for the next 8 hours of listening.

It begins with a covert hit of some kind by highly trained professionals. The man in charge of cover up, called a cleaner, notes a few mistakes made during the operation, but is confident all loose ends are covered. But when a 22 year old rookie police officer begins noticing very obscure clues, the cleaner's job becomes infinitely more complicated.

Fortunately for the cleaner, the rookie's inexperience and lack of authority renders his investigation useless by authorities. But the cleaner watches in amazement at the young cop's eye for detail and logic uncovers the truth of what really went down. But now another problem has reared its head. A key member of the hit squad wants the rookie dead.

Thus begins the end of a talented police officer's career before it really began, and the recruitment and training of a professional cleaner in the covert world of espionage.

Brett Battles is one of those authors whose works I always pre-order. Book 10 in his Jonathan Quinn series, the title is The Unleashed, releases on May 17. The Kindle version was released on March 11, 2016. I could not wait, so I have already read it, but have also pre-ordered the audiobook version so Scott Brick can read it again for me. The Unleashed is a solid 5 star espionage thriller.

Becoming Quinn is a background book on Jonathan Quinn. It is listed by Audible as Book 0.5 in the series, but was released at the same time as Book 5. It is a fascinating novel. Kindle Unlimited customers can borrow the Kindle and Audible versions at no additional cost. Otherwise the best way to purchase it is Whispersync for Voice buying the Kindle version for $3.99 and the Audible version for $1.99.

Would you consider the audio edition of Becoming Quinn to be better than the print version?

Absolutely

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jake. Because we see him as he grows up and becomes Quinn

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

All Scott's performances are amazing

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

Becoming Quinn is considered to be the origin story for the Jonathan Quinn series of thrillers by best-selling and award-winning author Brett Battles and the audiobook is performed by the great Scott Brick. As you may probably remember, I am a big fan of Mr. Battles‘s , but until last week I didn’t listened to this thrilling prequel and now I’m glad that I did…

The story in Becoming Quinn follows rookie cop Jake Oliver as he tries to investigate, unauthorized and on its own, a suspicious fire in which a man died, but not because of his burns. Jake has no right to delve into this matter, but his curiosity gets the better of him and after poking in the wrong places, strange things begin to happen. I will not give away too much of the plot because it is so well written and thought out and I’d prefer for you to discover it yourself.

If you are a Quinn fan and you didn’t read or listened to this book yet, you have to give it a try. This is how Jonathan Quinn was born, here is where we meet for the first time legendary figures from the Quinn series and this feels more like a mystery, combined with police procedural than a classic thriller. I really enjoyed discovering how Brett Battles imagined Quinn‘s character arc and how the 22 years old rookie evolves and becomes Jonathan Quinn.

Just like with any other adventure by Brett Battles, Becoming Quinn is fast, gripping, interesting, filled with action, tense moments and for me it was unputdownable.

Scott Brick, who is ”the voice of Quinn” in my head brings, once more, all the characters to life with passion and attention. There are no strange accents or too many voices for him to work with, but it’s crystal clear that he loves this series and that he enjoys very much performing Quinn‘s adventures for us audiobooks fans…

I said it before, many times, and I’ll say it again, Scott Brick is one of the most respected narrators in the Audiobook Industry and he deserves it without a doubt…

This audiobook was a treat for me because is part of one of my favourites series, it is written by one of my favourites authors an it is delivered by one of my top 3 favourites narrators…

Hope you enjoyed this review and if you find it helpful, please vote Yes below.You can find more reviews at theAudiobookBlog dot comThank you,Victor

This I my first read/listen by Brett Battles but certainly not my last... I picked the title based on reviews and 4.95 offer by audible. I am so glad that I took the offer and glad that I read this one first (based on the highly rated reviews of the other Quinn titles).

The story kept me listening and on the edge of my seat throughout. This is the story of how a newly inexperienced rookie cop uses his instincts, combined with his training lands him in the middle of a professional hit and clean-up job gone wrong. He thinks outside the box and finds the clues overlooked by the detectives working the case. Quinn reminded me a little bit of a younger Colombo but much more...more modern, more action, more suspense and much more entertaining. This is the story of how Jake Oliver became Jonathan Quinn, the Cleaner. Highly recommend.

Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators and he did an excellent job.

I'm pretty stingy about 5 star reviews ... However, if you like books of this genre as well as Brett Battles and his protagonist Quinn, you'll really like "Becoming Quinn". Please don't be put off by the fact that this is a prequel or rather short for an unabridged book - I think this is one of Battle's finest books.

I have no quotes from this book, nothing was quotable. That does not mean it is bad, I gave it four stars. I kept listening to see how it ended, even though I knew half way through, how it would end. I had read some of Battle's Science Fiction and really liked it, so I thought I would try this. Without the time travel or the World War II bad guys, this just did not rock my world. For fans of the Quinn series this is probably a must.

Wow, from the very start, Jake trusted his intuition in appreciating details around him. What others required months, if not years, Jake seemed to have in "spades", when it came to logical conclusions. So glad he grabbed on to a new career, once given the chance. Hated to have the story end but nice knowing more is out there!